Flexible scope of packet filters for reflective quality of service

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods provide for controlling the derivation of QoS rules in the UE by flexibly defining the scope of packet header fields over which packet filter derivation is performed. The scope of packet header fields for derivation of QoS rules may be provided by the network to the UE upon PDU Session establishment or modification. For PDU Session of IP type, the network indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoS includes both the Source/Destination IP address pair and the Source/Destination Port numbers, or only the former. For PDU Session of Ethernet type, the network indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoS includes both the Source/Destination MAC address pair and the IEEE 802.1Q tag, or only the former. The UE may indicate to the network whether it supports the flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS for a PDU session.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.62/718,258, filed Aug. 13, 2018, which is hereby incorporated byreference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to wireless communication systems,and more specifically to quality of service (QoS) flows.

BACKGROUND

Wireless mobile communication technology uses various standards andprotocols to transmit data between a base station and a wireless mobiledevice. Wireless communication system standards and protocols caninclude the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) long termevolution (LTE); the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(IEEE) 802.16 standard, which is commonly known to industry groups asworldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX); and the IEEE802.11 standard for wireless local area networks (WLAN), which iscommonly known to industry groups as Wi-Fi. In 3GPP radio accessnetworks (RANs) in LTE systems, the base station can include a RAN Nodesuch as a Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (E-UTRAN)Node B (also commonly denoted as evolved Node B, enhanced Node B,eNodeB, or eNB) and/or Radio Network Controller (RNC) in an E-UTRAN,which communicate with a wireless communication device, known as userequipment (UE). In fifth generation (5G) wireless RANs, RAN Nodes caninclude a 5G Node, new radio (NR) node or g Node B (gNB).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a call flow in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a device in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates an example interfaces in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates components in accordance with one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The 5G QoS model is based on QoS flows. The 5G QoS model supports bothQoS flows that require guaranteed flow bit rate (GBR QoS flows) and QoSflows that do not require guaranteed flow bit rate (Non-GBR QoS flows).The 5G QoS model also supports Reflective QoS, where a UE indicates in aUE 5GSM Core Network Capability of a PDU Session Establishment Requestwhether the UE supports reflective QoS, “IP”, “IPv4”, “IPv6”, “IPv4v6”or “Ethernet” PDU Session Type, and Multi-homed IPv6 PDU Session (onlyif the Requested PDU Type was set to “IPv6” or “IPv4v6”). RQoS relies onuser plane packets to allow the UE to derive packet filters to be usedfor QoS flow binding of uplink (UL) packets. The binding of UL packetsto QoS flows determines the QoS with which the packets will be handledin the uplink.

Reflective QoS enables the UE to map UL user plane traffic to QoS flowswithout session management function (SMF) provided QoS rules and itapplies for internet protocol (IP) protocol data unit (PDU) session andEthernet PDU session. This is achieved by creating UE derived QoS rulesin the UE based on the received downlink (DL) traffic. The UE derivedQoS rule includes the following parameters: one UL Packet Filter (in thePacket Filter Set; QoS flow identifier (QFI); and a precedence value.

For PDU Session of IP type the UL Packet Filter is derived based on thereceived DL packet as follows. When Protocol identifier (ID)/Next Headeris set to transmission control protocol (TCP) or user datagram protocol(UDP), by using the source and destination IP addresses, source anddestination port numbers, and the Protocol ID/Next Header field itself.When Protocol ID/Next Header is set to encapsulating security protocol(ESP), by using the source and destination IP addresses, the SecurityParameter Index, and the Protocol ID/Next Header field itself. If thereceived DL packet is an IPSec protected packet, and an uplink IPSec SAcorresponding to a downlink IPSec SA of the SPI in the DL packet exists,then the UL Packet Filter contains an SPI of the uplink IPSec SA.

For PDU sessions of IP type the use of Reflective QoS is restricted toservice data flows for which Protocol ID/Next Header is set to TCP, UDPor ESP. The UE does not verify whether the downlink packets with RQIindication match the restrictions on Reflective QoS.

For PDU Session of Ethernet type the UL Packet Filter is derived basedon the received DL packet by using the source and destination MACaddresses, the Ethertype on received DL packet is used as Ethertype forUL packet. In the case of presence of 802.1Q, the VID and PCP in IEEE802.1Q header(s) of the received DL packet is also used as the VID andPCP field for the UL Packet Filter. When double 802.1Q tagging is used,only the outer (S-TAG) is taken into account for the UL Packet Filterderivation. For PDU Sessions of Ethernet type the use of Reflective QoSis restricted to service data flows for which 802.1Q tagging is used.

The QFI of the UE derived QoS rule is set to the value received in theDL packet. When Reflective QoS is activated the precedence value for allUE derived QoS rules is set to a standardized value.

The present disclosure is related to the cases when the Protocol ID/NextHeader field is set to TCP or UDP, the creation of packet filters forderived QoS rules is scoped on the whole 5-tuple, e.g., Source IPaddress is swapped with Destination IP address, and the Source Portnumber is swapped with the Destination Port number.

The fixed scope of the packet filters for derived QoS rules restrictsthe usability of Reflective QoS. Indeed, with this fixed scopedefinition it is implied that Reflective QoS can be used only in caseswhere the outbound and inbound traffic flows are using symmetric portnumbers. While this may be true for some traffic flows (e.g., TCP) it isnot the case for some others (e.g., peer-to-peer communication overUDP).

Another potential issue with the fixed scope of RQoS rules is that itmay result in a huge number of derived QoS rules because all thedynamically created packet filters have a very narrow scope (e.g., theyonly apply to the traffic flow that matches the whole 5-tuple). Theexpiry of derived QoS rules being controlled by a fixed timer value, incase of high-bandwidth communication with short-lived traffic flows theUE can easily enter a situation with thousands of concurrent derived QoSrules. The huge number of RQoS rules may become a problem both in termsof memory storage in the UE and in terms of processing time when theuplink packet is being bound to a QoS flow.

According to certain embodiments herein, in many real life scenarios itwill be sufficient to derive QoS rules for Reflective QoS by swappingthe Source and Destination IP address only. For example, consider thescenario where the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) has a Service LevelAgreement with a third party stipulating that all communications betweenthe UE and the third party's servers get preferential QoS treatment. Inthis scenario the MNO may maintain a list of IP addresses correspondingto the third party's servers and whenever a DL packet with a Source IPaddress matching the list arrives at the UPF, the UPF will start settingthe Reflective QoS Indication in the N3/N9 encapsulation header, whichis eventually conveyed to the UE. The number of derived QoS filters inthe UE will be proportional to the number of servers with which itcommunicates in parallel, regardless of the number of Service Data Flowsthat the UE uses concurrently.

Another example scenario is online shopping. The MNO may have an SLAwith the third party (online shopping company) stipulating thatbest-effort QoS be used while the user is browsing the merchandise andfilling in the cart, followed by prioritized QoS handling once the userproceeds to payment. To make this scenario work while using ReflectiveQoS, the MNO can keep a list of IP addresses corresponding only to thethird party's servers that handle the payment transactions.

Similar benefits can be expected with PDU Sessions of Ethernet type whenIEEE 802.1Q tagging is used. In certain such embodiments, the networkcan decide whether the derived QoS rules should be applied on both theSource/Destination MAC address pair and the IEEE 802.1Q tag, or only onthe former (i.e., only on the Source/Destination MAC address pair).

By using a fixed scope for derivation of QoS rules based on both theSource and Destination IP address fields and the Source and DestinationPort numbers, the UE can easily run into a situation with thousands ofconcurrent derived QoS rules. The huge number of RQoS rules may become aproblem both in terms of memory storage in the UE and in terms ofprocessing time when the uplink packet is being bound to a QoS flow.

Thus, according to various embodiments, the UE may be able to adapt thescope of the packet filters for RQoS according to an indication providedby the network. In particular, upon PDU Session establishment of IPtype, the network indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoS includesboth Source/Destination IP address pair and the Source/Destination Portnumber pair, or only the former. Upon PDU Session establishment ofEthernet type the network indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoSincludes both Source/Dest MAC address pair and the IEEE 802.1Q tag, oronly the former.

By reducing the scope of derived QoS rules to only the Source andDestination IP address fields, the number of derived packet filters inthe UE will be much smaller than current solution(s). This is beneficialboth in terms of memory/storage resource reduction/conservation at theUE and in terms of processing resources (e.g., processing time) when theuplink packet is being bound to a QoS flow.

Certain embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented in a PDU SessionEstablishment procedure. A PDU Session establishment may correspond, forexample, to one of a UE initiated PDU Session Establishment procedure, aUE initiated PDU Session handover between 3GPP and non-3GPP, a UEinitiated PDU Session handover from EPS to 5GS, or a Network triggeredPDU Session Establishment procedure.

By way of example, FIG. 1 illustrates a call flow 100 for a UE requestedPDU session establishment procedure. The call flow 100 shown FIG. 1includes messages between a UE 102, a (radio) access network (shown as((R)AN 104), an access and mobility management function (shown as AMF106), a user plane function (shown as UPF 108), a session managementfunction (shown as SMF 110), a policy control function (shown as PCF112), a unified data management function (shown as UDM 114), and a datanetwork (shown as DN 116). In this example, the call flow in TS 23.502clause 4.3.2.2 (PDU Session Establishment) is used as a basis, andpersons skilled in the art will understand that the description belowonly provides a summary and further details may be found in TS 23.502.

With reference to operation 1. of FIG. 1, from UE to AMF: NAS Message(S-NSSAI(s), DNN, PDU Session ID, Request type, Old PDU Session ID, N1SM container (PDU Session Establishment Request)). In order to establisha new PDU Session, the UE generates a new PDU Session ID. The UEinitiates the UE Requested PDU Session Establishment procedure by thetransmission of a NAS message containing a PDU Session EstablishmentRequest within the N1 SM container. The PDU Session EstablishmentRequest includes a PDU session ID, Requested PDU SessionType, aRequested SSC mode, 5GSM Capability PCO, SM PDU DN Request Container,Number Of Packet Filters. The Request Type indicates “Initial request”if the PDU Session Establishment is a request to establish a new PDUSession and indicates “Existing PDU Session” if the request refers to anexisting PDU Session switching between 3GPP access and non-3GPP accessor to a PDU Session handover from an existing PDN connection in EPC. Ifthe request refers to an existing PDN connection in EPC, the S-NSSAI isset as described in TS 23.501 clause 5.15.7.2.

The 5GSM Core Network Capability is provided by the UE and handled bySMF as defined in TS 23.501 [2] clause 5.4.4b. The 5GSM Capability alsoincludes the UE Integrity Protection Maximum Data Rate. Additionally,the UE may indicate to the SMF in the 5GSM Capability IE of the PDUSession Establishment Request message that the UE supports the feature“flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS”.

The Number Of Packet Filters indicates the number of supported packetfilters for signaled QoS rules for the PDU Session that is beingestablished. The number of packet filters indicated by the UE is validfor the lifetime of the PDU Session. For presence condition, see TS24.501.

With reference to operation 2. of FIG. 1, the AMF determines that themessage corresponds to a request for a new PDU Session based on thatRequest Type indicates “initial request” and that the PDU Session ID isnot used for any existing PDU Session(s) of the UE. If the NAS messagedoes not contain an S-NSSAI, the AMF determines a default S-NSSAI forthe requested PDU Session either according to the UE subscription, if itcontains only one default S-NSSAI, or based on operator policy. When theNAS Message contains an S-NSSAI but it does not contain a DNN, the AMFdetermines the DNN for the requested PDU Session by selecting thedefault DNN for this S-NSSAI if the default DNN is present in the UE'sSubscription Information; otherwise the serving AMF selects a locallyconfigured DNN for this S-NSSAI. If the DNN provided by the UE is notsupported by the network and AMF can not select an SMF by querying NRF,based on operator policy, the AMF shall reject the NAS Messagecontaining PDU Session Establishment Request from the UE with anappropriate cause.

With reference to operation 3. of FIG. 1, from AMF to SMF: EitherNsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Request (SUPI, DNN, S-NSSAI(s), PDUSession ID, AMF ID, Request Type, PCF ID, Priority Access, N1 SMcontainer (PDU Session Establishment Request), User locationinformation, Access Type, PEI, GPSI, UE presence in LADN service area,Subscription For PDU Session Status Notification, DNN Selection Mode) orNsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (SUPI, DNN, S-NSSAI(s), PDUSession ID, AMF ID, Request Type, N1 SM container (PDU SessionEstablishment Request), User location information, Access Type, RATtype, PEI). If the AMF does not have an association with an SMF for thePDU Session ID provided by the UE (e.g. when Request Type indicates“initial request”), the AMF invokes the Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContextRequest, but if the AMF already has an association with an SMF for thePDU Session ID provided by the UE (e.g. when Request Type indicates“existing PDU Session”), the AMF invokes theNsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request. The AMF sends the S-NSSAI fromthe Allowed NSSAI to the SMF. For roaming scenario, the AMF also sendsthe corresponding S-NSSAI from the Mapping Of Allowed NSSAI to the SMF.The AMF may include a PCF ID in the Nsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContextRequest. This PCF ID identifies the H-PCF in the non-roaming case andthe V-PCF in the local breakout roaming case. In certain embodimentsherein, the AMF may include the value of the 5GSM Capability IE of thePDU Session Establishment Request message that indicates that the UEsupports the feature “flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS”.

With reference to operations 4 a-4 b. of FIG. 1, the process includesRegistration/Subscription retrieval/Subscription for updates.

With reference to operation 5. of FIG. 1, From SMF to AMF: EitherNsmf_PDUSession_CreateSMContext Response(Cause, SM Context ID or N1 SMcontainer (PDU Session Reject(Cause))) or anNsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response depending on the requestreceived in operation 3.

Operation 6. of FIG. 1 includes an optional PDU Sessionauthentication/authorization.

Operations 7 a. and 7 b. of FIG. 1 include PCF selection and SM PolicyAssociation Establishment or SMF initiated SM Policy AssociationModification.

Operation 8. in FIG. 1 UPF selection.

Operation 9. in FIG. 1 includes SMF initiated SM Policy AssociationModification.

Operations 10 a. and 10 b. in FIG. 1 includes N4 SessionEstablishment/Modification Request, and N4 SessionEstablishment/Modification Response.

With reference to operation 11. in FIG. 1, SMF to AMF:Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer (PDU Session ID, N2 SMinformation (PDU Session ID, QFI(s), QoS Profile(s), CN Tunnel Info,S-NSSAI from the Allowed NSSAI, Session-AMBR, PDU Session Type, UserPlane SecurityEnforcement information, UE Integrity Protection MaximumData Rate), N1 SM container (PDU Session Establishment Accept (QoSRule(s) and QoS flow level QoS parameters if needed for the QoS flow(s)associated with the QoS rule(s), selected SSC mode, S-NSSAI(s), DNN,allocated IPv4 address, interface identifier, Session-AMBR, selected PDUSession Type, Reflective QoS Timer (if available), Reflective QoS rulescope, P-CSCF address(es)))). If multiple UPFs are used for the PDUSession, the CN Tunnel Info contain tunnel information related with theUPF that terminates N3. In certain embodiments herein, the ReflectiveQoS rule scope indicates the following: for PDU Session of IP typeitindicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoS includes both Source/DestIP address pair and the Source/Dest Port number pair, or only theformer; and for PDU Session of Ethernet typeit indicates to the UEwhether the scope of RQoS includes both Source/Dest MAC address pair andthe IEEE 802.1Q tag, or only the former.

The N2 SM information carries information that the AMF shall forward tothe (R)AN which includes: the CN Tunnel Info corresponds to the CoreNetwork address of the N3 tunnel corresponding to the PDU Session; oneor multiple QoS profiles and the corresponding QFIs can be provided tothe (R)AN. This is further described in TS 23.501 clause 5.7; PDUSession ID may be used by AN signaling with the UE to indicate to the UEthe association between (R)AN resources and a PDU Session for the UE; aPDU Session is associated to an S-NSSAI and a DNN, wherein the S-NSSAIprovided to the (R)AN, is the S-NSSAI with the value for the servingPLMN; User Plane SecurityEnforcement information is determined by theSMF as described in clause 5.10.3 of TS 23.501; and if the User PlaneSecurity Enforcement information indicates that Integrity Protection is“Preferred” or “Required”, the SMF also includes the UE IntegrityProtection Maximum Data Rate as received in the 5GSM Capability.

The N1 SM container contains the PDU Session Establishment Accept thatthe AMF shall provide to the UE. If the UE requested P-CSCF discoverythen the message shall also include the P-CSCF IP address(es) asdetermined by the SMF. The PDU Session Establishment Accept includesS-NSSAI from the Allowed NSSAI. For roaming scenario, the PDU SessionEstablishment Accept also includes corresponding S-NSSAI from theMapping Of Allowed NSSAI that SMF received in operation 3. Multiple QoSRules, QoS flow level QoS parameters if needed for the QoS flow(s)associated with those QoS rule(s) and QoS Profiles may be included inthe PDU Session Establishment Accept within the N1 SM and in the N2 SMinformation. The Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer contains the PDUSession ID allowing the AMF to know which access towards the UE to use.

With reference to operation 12. in FIG. 1, AMF to (R)AN: N2 PDU SessionRequest (N2 SM information, NAS message (PDU Session ID, N1 SM container(PDU Session Establishment Accept))). The AMF sends the NAS messagecontaining PDU Session ID and PDU Session Establishment Accept targetedto the UE and the N2 SM information received from the SMF within the N2PDU Session Request to the (R)AN.

With reference to operation 13. in FIG. 1, (R)AN to UE: The (R)AN mayissue AN specific signalling exchange with the UE that is related withthe information received from SMF. For example, in case of a NG-RAN, anRRC Connection Reconfiguration may take place with the UE establishingthe necessary NG-RAN resources related to the QoS Rules for the PDUSession request received in operation 12.

R)AN also allocates (R)AN N3 tTunnel Info for the PDU Session. In caseof Dual Connectivity, the Master RAN node may assign some (zero or more)QFIs to be setup to a Master RAN node and others to the Secondary RANnode. The AN Tunnel Info includes a tunnel endpoint for each involved(R)AN node, and the QFIs assigned to each tunnel endpoint. A QFI can beassigned to either the Master RAN node or the Secondary RAN node and notto both.

(R)AN forwards the NAS message (PDU Session ID, N1 SM container (PDUSession Establishment Accept)) provided in step 12 to the UE. (R)ANshall only provide the NAS message to the UE if the necessary (R)ANresources are established and the allocation of (R)AN Tunnel Info aresuccessful.

Operation 14. in FIG. 1 includes N2 PDU Session Request Ack.

After First Uplink Data, operation 15. in FIG. 1 includes AMF to SMF:Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Request (N2 SM information, RequestType).

With reference to operation 16 a. in FIG. 1, the SMF initiates an N4Session Modification procedure with the UPF. The SMF provides AN TunnelInfo to the UPF as well as the corresponding forwarding rules. Note thatif the PDU Session Establishment Request was due to mobility between3GPP and non-3GPP access or mobility from EPC, the downlink data path isswitched towards the target access in this step. In certain embodimentsherein, the SMF may inform the UPF that RQoS applies for the PDU Sessionfor this PDU Session Establishment Request. When the SMF informs the UPFthat RQoS applies for a certain PDU session, it also indicates whetherfor this specific PDU session the UPF shall apply the ‘reduced’ scope ofpacket filters for RQoS (i.e., whether for a PDU session of IP type justthe Source/Dest IP address pair is used as packet filter, or for a PDUsession of Ethernet type just the Source/Dest MAC address pair is used).For this indication, the SMF may take the support indication receivedfrom the UE into account. The UPF may use this information: to adapt thescope for the checking of UL packets; and to determine which DL packetsneed to be marked with an RQI.

With reference to operation 16 b. in FIG. 1, the UPF provides an N4Session Modification Response to the SMF. If multiple UPFs are used inthe PDU Session, the UPF in step 16 refers to the UPF terminating N3.After this step, the UPF delivers any down-link packets (First DownlinkData) to the UE that may have been buffered for this PDU Session.

Operation 17. in FIG. 1 includes SMF to AMF:Nsmf_PDUSession_UpdateSMContext Response.

Operation 18. in FIG. 1 includes SMF to AMF:Nsmf_PDUSession_SMContextStatusNotify.

Operation 19. in FIG. 1 includes SMF to UE, via UPF: In case of PDUSession Type IPv6 or IPv4v6, the SMF generates an IPv6 RouterAdvertisement and sends it to the UE via N4 and the UPF.

Operation 20. in FIG. 1 includes, if the PDU Session establishmentfailed after step 4, the SMF performs Unsubscription or Deregistration.

In the above procedure according to certain embodiments, the embodimentsmay be reflected in the content of the PDU Session Establishment Acceptmessage (see e.g., operations 11-13). At operation 11, theNamf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer operation is performed by the SMFto AMF.

The Namf_Communication_N1N2MessageTransfer indicates or includes theReflective QoS rule scope, as well as the PDU Session ID, N2 SMinformation (PDU Session ID, QFI(s), QoS Profile(s), CN Tunnel Info,S-NSSAI from the Allowed NSSAI, Session-AMBR, PDU Session Type, UserPlane SecurityEnforcement information, UE Integrity Protection MaximumData Rate), N1 SM container (PDU Session Establishment Accept (QoSRule(s) and QoS Flow level QoS parameters if needed for the QoS Flow(s)associated with the QoS rule(s), selected SSC mode, S-NSSAI(s), DNN,allocated IPv4 address, interface identifier, Session-AMBR, selected PDUSession Type, Reflective QoS Timer (if available), P-CSCFaddress(es)))). If multiple UPFs are used for the PDU Session, the CNTunnel Info contain tunnel information related with the UPF thatterminates N3.

According to certain embodiments, for PDU Session of IP type theReflective QoS rule scope indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoSincludes both Source/Dest IP address pair and the Source/Dest Portnumbers, or only the former. For PDU Session of Ethernet type, theReflective QoS rule scope indicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoSincludes both Source/Dest MAC address pair and the IEEE 802.1Q tag, oronly the former.

Additionally, in operations 1 and 3, the UE may indicate to the SMF inthe PDU Session Establishment Request message (e.g., in the 5GSMCapability information element) that the UE supports the feature“flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS.”

Furthermore, when the SMF informs the UPF that RQoS applies for acertain PDU session (see e.g., operation 16 a), it also indicateswhether for this specific PDU session the UPF is to apply the ‘reduced’scope of packet filters for RQoS (e.g., whether for a PDU session of IPtype just the Source/Dest IP address pair is used as packet filter orfor a PDU session of Ethernet type just the Source/Dest MAC address pairis used). For this indication, the SMF may take the support indicationreceived from the UE into account. In certain embodiments the UPF usesthis information: to adapt the scope for the checking of UL packets;and/or to determine which DL packets need to be marked with an RQI.

With respect to the UPF adapting the scope for the checking of ULpackets, the UPF is checking the UL packets sent by the UE to verifywhether the UE is behaving in a compliant way, e.g., whether the isincluding the QFI applicable to the RQoS service data flow (SDF) only inthose UL packets that are matching the respective packet filter(s). Forthis task, the UPF may need to know whether to perform the check basedon the reduced scope or the full scope of the packet filter(s). If theUE is using the QFI for other packets, the UPF may discard therespective packets.

With respect to the UPF determining which DL packets need to be markedwith an RQI, as described above, the SDFs occurring during acommunication session between the UE and some servers in the network canbe described either by a single packet filter of reduced scope (e.g.,Source/Dest IP address pair only), or by several packet filters of thefull scope (e.g., including Source/Dest IP address pair and Source/DestPort numbers). For the full scope case, the UPF may need to ensure thatfor each of the different Source/Dest Port number pairs used during thecommunication session, the UPF marks one or more DL packets with the RQIso that the UE creates corresponding UL packet filters for each of thesepairs. Whereas, for the reduced scope case, the it may be sufficient forthe UPF to mark one or more DL packets per Source/Dest IP address pair.

One example embodiment includes a method for controlling the derivationof QoS rules in the UE by flexibly defining the scope of packet headerfields over which packet filter derivation is performed. In certain suchembodiments, the scope of packet header fields for derivation of QoSrules is provided by the network to the UE upon PDU Sessionestablishment or modification. For PDU Session of IP type, the networkindicates to the UE whether the scope of RQoS includes both theSource/Dest IP address pair and the Source/Dest Port number, or only theformer. For PDU Session of Ethernet type, the network indicates to theUE whether the scope of RQoS includes both the Source/Dest MAC addresspair and the IEEE 802.1Q tag, or only the former. In certainembodiments, the UE indicates to the network whether it supports theflexible scope of packet filters for RQoS for a PDU session, whereby thenetwork decides whether to use the flexible scope of packet filters forRQoS for a PDU session at least partly based on the receipt of thesupport indication from the UE.

FIG. 2 illustrates an architecture of a system 200 of a network inaccordance with some embodiments. The system 200 includes one or moreuser equipment (UE), shown in this example as a UE 202 and a UE 204. TheUE 202 and the UE 204 are illustrated as smartphones (e.g., handheldtouchscreen mobile computing devices connectable to one or more cellularnetworks), but may also comprise any mobile or non-mobile computingdevice, such as Personal Data Assistants (PDAs), pagers, laptopcomputers, desktop computers, wireless handsets, or any computing deviceincluding a wireless communications interface.

In some embodiments, any of the UE 202 and the UE 204 can comprise anInternet of Things (IoT) UE, which can comprise a network access layerdesigned for low-power IoT applications utilizing short-lived UEconnections. An IoT UE can utilize technologies such asmachine-to-machine (M2M) or machine-type communications (MTC) forexchanging data with an MTC server or device via a public land mobilenetwork (PLMN), Proximity-Based Service (ProSe) or device-to-device(D2D) communication, sensor networks, or IoT networks. The M2M or MTCexchange of data may be a machine-initiated exchange of data. An IoTnetwork describes interconnecting IoT UEs, which may include uniquelyidentifiable embedded computing devices (within the Internetinfrastructure), with short-lived connections. The IoT UEs may executebackground applications (e.g., keep-alive messages, status updates,etc.) to facilitate the connections of the IoT network.

The UE 202 and the UE 204 may be configured to connect, e.g.,communicatively couple, with a radio access network (RAN), shown as RAN206. The RAN 206 may be, for example, an Evolved Universal MobileTelecommunications System (UMTS) Terrestrial Radio Access Network(E-UTRAN), a NextGen RAN (NG RAN), or some other type of RAN. The UE 202and the UE 204 utilize connection 208 and connection 210, respectively,each of which comprises a physical communications interface or layer(discussed in further detail below); in this example, the connection 208and the connection 210 are illustrated as an air interface to enablecommunicative coupling, and can be consistent with cellularcommunications protocols, such as a Global System for MobileCommunications (GSM) protocol, a code-division multiple access (CDMA)network protocol, a Push-to-Talk (PTT) protocol, a PTT over Cellular(POC) protocol, a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS)protocol, a 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) protocol, a fifth generation(5G) protocol, a New Radio (NR) protocol, and the like.

In this embodiment, the UE 202 and the UE 204 may further directlyexchange communication data via a ProSe interface 212. The ProSeinterface 212 may alternatively be referred to as a sidelink interfacecomprising one or more logical channels, including but not limited to aPhysical Sidelink Control Channel (PSCCH), a Physical Sidelink SharedChannel (PSSCH), a Physical Sidelink Discovery Channel (PSDCH), and aPhysical Sidelink Broadcast Channel (PSBCH).

The UE 204 is shown to be configured to access an access point (AP),shown as AP 214, via connection 216. The connection 216 can comprise alocal wireless connection, such as a connection consistent with any IEEE802.11 protocol, wherein the AP 214 would comprise a wireless fidelity(WiFi®) router. In this example, the AP 214 may be connected to theInternet without connecting to the core network of the wireless system(described in further detail below).

The RAN 206 can include one or more access nodes that enable theconnection 208 and the connection 210. These access nodes (ANs) can bereferred to as base stations (BSs), NodeBs, evolved NodeBs (eNBs), nextGeneration NodeBs (gNB), RAN nodes, and so forth, and can compriseground stations (e.g., terrestrial access points) or satellite stationsproviding coverage within a geographic area (e.g., a cell). The RAN 206may include one or more RAN nodes for providing macrocells, e.g., macroRAN node 218, and one or more RAN nodes for providing femtocells orpicocells (e.g., cells having smaller coverage areas, smaller usercapacity, or higher bandwidth compared to macrocells), e.g., a low power(LP) RAN node such as LP RAN node 220.

Any of the macro RAN node 218 and the LP RAN node 220 can terminate theair interface protocol and can be the first point of contact for the UE202 and the UE 204. In some embodiments, any of the macro RAN node 218and the LP RAN node 220 can fulfill various logical functions for theRAN 206 including, but not limited to, radio network controller (RNC)functions such as radio bearer management, uplink and downlink dynamicradio resource management and data packet scheduling, and mobilitymanagement.

In accordance with some embodiments, the UE 202 and the UE 204 can beconfigured to communicate using Orthogonal Frequency-DivisionMultiplexing (OFDM) communication signals with each other or with any ofthe macro RAN node 218 and the LP RAN node 220 over a multicarriercommunication channel in accordance various communication techniques,such as, but not limited to, an Orthogonal Frequency-Division MultipleAccess (OFDMA) communication technique (e.g., for downlinkcommunications) or a Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access(SC-FDMA) communication technique (e.g., for uplink and ProSe orsidelink communications), although the scope of the embodiments is notlimited in this respect. The OFDM signals can comprise a plurality oforthogonal subcarriers.

In some embodiments, a downlink resource grid can be used for downlinktransmissions from any of the macro RAN node 218 and the LP RAN node 220to the UE 202 and the UE 204, while uplink transmissions can utilizesimilar techniques. The grid can be a time-frequency grid, called aresource grid or time-frequency resource grid, which is the physicalresource in the downlink in each slot. Such a time-frequency planerepresentation is a common practice for OFDM systems, which makes itintuitive for radio resource allocation. Each column and each row of theresource grid corresponds to one OFDM symbol and one OFDM subcarrier,respectively. The duration of the resource grid in the time domaincorresponds to one slot in a radio frame. The smallest time-frequencyunit in a resource grid is denoted as a resource element. Each resourcegrid comprises a number of resource blocks, which describe the mappingof certain physical channels to resource elements. Each resource blockcomprises a collection of resource elements; in the frequency domain,this may represent the smallest quantity of resources that currently canbe allocated. There are several different physical downlink channelsthat are conveyed using such resource blocks.

The physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH) may carry user data andhigher-layer signaling to the UE 202 and the UE 204. The physicaldownlink control channel (PDCCH) may carry information about thetransport format and resource allocations related to the PDSCH channel,among other things. It may also inform the UE 202 and the UE 204 aboutthe transport format, resource allocation, and H-ARQ (Hybrid AutomaticRepeat Request) information related to the uplink shared channel.Typically, downlink scheduling (assigning control and shared channelresource blocks to the UE 204 within a cell) may be performed at any ofthe macro RAN node 218 and the LP RAN node 220 based on channel qualityinformation fed back from any of the UE 202 and UE 204. The downlinkresource assignment information may be sent on the PDCCH used for (e.g.,assigned to) each of the UE 202 and the UE 204.

The PDCCH may use control channel elements (CCEs) to convey the controlinformation. Before being mapped to resource elements, the PDCCHcomplex-valued symbols may first be organized into quadruplets, whichmay then be permuted using a sub-block interleaver for rate matching.Each PDCCH may be transmitted using one or more of these CCEs, whereeach CCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elementsknown as resource element groups (REGs). Four Quadrature Phase ShiftKeying (QPSK) symbols may be mapped to each REG. The PDCCH can betransmitted using one or more CCEs, depending on the size of thedownlink control information (DCI) and the channel condition. There canbe four or more different PDCCH formats defined in LTE with differentnumbers of CCEs (e.g., aggregation level, L=1, 2, 4, or 8).

Some embodiments may use concepts for resource allocation for controlchannel information that are an extension of the above-describedconcepts. For example, some embodiments may utilize an enhanced physicaldownlink control channel (EPDCCH) that uses PDSCH resources for controlinformation transmission. The EPDCCH may be transmitted using one ormore enhanced the control channel elements (ECCEs). Similar to above,each ECCE may correspond to nine sets of four physical resource elementsknown as enhanced resource element groups (EREGs). An ECCE may haveother numbers of EREGs in some situations.

The RAN 206 is communicatively coupled to a core network (CN), shown asCN 228 via an S1 interface 222. In embodiments, the CN 228 may be anevolved packet core (EPC) network, a NextGen Packet Core (NPC) network,or some other type of CN. In this embodiment the S1 interface 222 issplit into two parts: the S1-U interface 224, which carries traffic databetween the macro RAN node 218 and the LP RAN node 220 and a servinggateway (S-GW), shown as S-GW 232, and an S1-mobility management entity(MME) interface, shown as S1-MME interface 226, which is a signalinginterface between the macro RAN node 218 and LP RAN node 220 and theMME(s) 230.

In this embodiment, the CN 228 comprises the MME(s) 230, the S-GW 232, aPacket Data Network (PDN) Gateway (P-GW) (shown as P-GW 234), and a homesubscriber server (HSS) (shown as HSS 236). The MME(s) 230 may besimilar in function to the control plane of legacy Serving GeneralPacket Radio Service (GPRS) Support Nodes (SGSN). The MME(s) 230 maymanage mobility aspects in access such as gateway selection and trackingarea list management. The HSS 236 may comprise a database for networkusers, including subscription-related information to support the networkentities' handling of communication sessions. The CN 228 may compriseone or several HSS 236, depending on the number of mobile subscribers,on the capacity of the equipment, on the organization of the network,etc. For example, the HSS 236 can provide support for routing/roaming,authentication, authorization, naming/addressing resolution, locationdependencies, etc.

The S-GW 232 may terminate the S1 interface 322 towards the RAN 206, androutes data packets between the RAN 206 and the CN 228. In addition, theS-GW 232 may be a local mobility anchor point for inter-RAN nodehandovers and also may provide an anchor for inter-3GPP mobility. Otherresponsibilities may include lawful intercept, charging, and some policyenforcement.

The P-GW 234 may terminate an SGi interface toward a PDN. The P-GW 234may route data packets between the CN 228 (e.g., an EPC network) andexternal networks such as a network including the application server 242(alternatively referred to as application function (AF)) via an InternetProtocol (IP) interface (shown as IP communications interface 238).Generally, an application server 242 may be an element offeringapplications that use IP bearer resources with the core network (e.g.,UMTS Packet Services (PS) domain, LTE PS data services, etc.). In thisembodiment, the P-GW 234 is shown to be communicatively coupled to anapplication server 242 via an IP communications interface 238. Theapplication server 242 can also be configured to support one or morecommunication services (e.g., Voice-over-Internet Protocol (VoIP)sessions, PTT sessions, group communication sessions, social networkingservices, etc.) for the UE 202 and the UE 204 via the CN 228.

The P-GW 234 may further be a node for policy enforcement and chargingdata collection. A Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCRF)(shown as PCRF 240) is the policy and charging control element of the CN228. In a non-roaming scenario, there may be a single PCRF in the HomePublic Land Mobile Network (HPLMN) associated with a UE's InternetProtocol Connectivity Access Network (IP-CAN) session. In a roamingscenario with local breakout of traffic, there may be two PCRFsassociated with a UE's IP-CAN session: a Home PCRF (H-PCRF) within aHPLMN and a Visited PCRF (V-PCRF) within a Visited Public Land MobileNetwork (VPLMN). The PCRF 240 may be communicatively coupled to theapplication server 242 via the P-GW 234. The application server 242 maysignal the PCRF 240 to indicate a new service flow and select theappropriate Quality of Service (QoS) and charging parameters. The PCRF240 may provision this rule into a Policy and Charging EnforcementFunction (PCEF) (not shown) with the appropriate traffic flow template(TFT) and QoS class of identifier (QCI), which commences the QoS andcharging as specified by the application server 242.

FIG. 3 illustrates an architecture of a system 300 of a network inaccordance with some embodiments. The system 300 is shown to include aUE 302, which may be the same or similar to the UE 202 and the UE 204discussed previously; a 5G access node or RAN node (shown as (R)AN node308), which may be the same or similar to the macro RAN node 218 and/orthe LP RAN node 220 discussed previously; a User Plane Function (shownas UPF 304); a Data Network (DN 306), which may be, for example,operator services, Internet access or 3rd party services; and a 5G CoreNetwork (5GC) (shown as CN 310).

The CN 310 may include an Authentication Server Function (AUSF 314); aCore Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF 312); a SessionManagement Function (SMF 318); a Network Exposure Function (NEF 316); aPolicy Control Function (PCF 322); a Network Function (NF) RepositoryFunction (NRF 320); a Unified Data Management (UDM 324); and anApplication Function (AF 326). The CN 310 may also include otherelements that are not shown, such as a Structured Data Storage networkfunction (SDSF), an Unstructured Data Storage network function (UDSF),and the like.

The UPF 304 may act as an anchor point for intra-RAT and inter-RATmobility, an external PDU session point of interconnect to DN 306, and abranching point to support multi-homed PDU session. The UPF 304 may alsoperform packet routing and forwarding, packet inspection, enforce userplane part of policy rules, lawfully intercept packets (UP collection);traffic usage reporting, perform QoS handling for user plane (e.g.packet filtering, gating, UL/DL rate enforcement), perform UplinkTraffic verification (e.g., SDF to QoS flow mapping), transport levelpacket marking in the uplink and downlink, and downlink packet bufferingand downlink data notification triggering. UPF 304 may include an uplinkclassifier to support routing traffic flows to a data network. The DN306 may represent various network operator services, Internet access, orthird party services. DN 306 may include, or be similar to theapplication server 242 discussed previously.

The AUSF 314 may store data for authentication of UE 302 and handleauthentication related functionality. The AUSF 314 may facilitate acommon authentication framework for various access types.

The AMF 312 may be responsible for registration management (e.g., forregistering UE 302, etc.), connection management, reachabilitymanagement, mobility management, and lawful interception of AMF-relatedevents, and access authentication and authorization. AMF 312 may providetransport for SM messages for the SMF 318, and act as a transparentproxy for routing SM messages. AMF 312 may also provide transport forshort message service (SMS) messages between UE 302 and an SMS function(SMSF) (not shown by FIG. 3). AMF 312 may act as Security AnchorFunction (SEA), which may include interaction with the AUSF 314 and theUE 302, receipt of an intermediate key that was established as a resultof the UE 302 authentication process. Where USIM based authentication isused, the AMF 312 may retrieve the security material from the AUSF 314.AMF 312 may also include a Security Context Management (SCM) function,which receives a key from the SEA that it uses to derive access-networkspecific keys. Furthermore, AMF 312 may be a termination point of RAN CPinterface (N2 reference point), a termination point of NAS (NI)signaling, and perform NAS ciphering and integrity protection.

AMF 312 may also support NAS signaling with a UE 302 over an N3interworking-function (IWF) interface. The N3IWF may be used to provideaccess to untrusted entities. N3IWF may be a termination point for theN2 and N3 interfaces for control plane and user plane, respectively, andas such, may handle N2 signaling from SMF and AMF for PDU sessions andQoS, encapsulate/de-encapsulate packets for IPSec and N3 tunneling, markN3 user-plane packets in the uplink, and enforce QoS corresponding to N3packet marking taking into account QoS requirements associated to suchmarking received over N2. N3IWF may also relay uplink and downlinkcontrol-plane NAS (NI) signaling between the UE 302 and AMF 312, andrelay uplink and downlink user-plane packets between the UE 302 and UPF304. The N3IWF also provides mechanisms for IPsec tunnel establishmentwith the UE 302.

The SMF 318 may be responsible for session management (e.g., sessionestablishment, modify and release, including tunnel maintain between UPFand AN node); UE IP address allocation & management (including optionalAuthorization); Selection and control of UP function; Configures trafficsteering at UPF to route traffic to proper destination; termination ofinterfaces towards Policy control functions; control part of policyenforcement and QoS; lawful intercept (for SM events and interface to LISystem); termination of SM parts of NAS messages; downlink DataNotification; initiator of AN specific SM information, sent via AMF overN2 to AN; determine SSC mode of a session. The SMF 318 may include thefollowing roaming functionality: handle local enforcement to apply QoSSLAs (VPLMN); charging data collection and charging interface (VPLMN);lawful intercept (in VPLMN for SM events and interface to LI System);support for interaction with external DN for transport of signaling forPDU session authorization/authentication by external DN.

The NEF 316 may provide means for securely exposing the services andcapabilities provided by 3GPP network functions for third party,internal exposure/re-exposure, Application Functions (e.g., AF 326),edge computing or fog computing systems, etc. In such embodiments, theNEF 316 may authenticate, authorize, and/or throttle the AFs. NEF 316may also translate information exchanged with the AF 326 and informationexchanged with internal network functions. For example, the NEF 316 maytranslate between an AF-Service-Identifier and an internal 5GCinformation. NEF 316 may also receive information from other networkfunctions (NFs) based on exposed capabilities of other networkfunctions. This information may be stored at the NEF 316 as structureddata, or at a data storage NF using a standardized interfaces. Thestored information can then be re-exposed by the NEF 316 to other NFsand AFs, and/or used for other purposes such as analytics.

The NRF 320 may support service discovery functions, receive NFDiscovery Requests from NF instances, and provide the information of thediscovered NF instances to the NF instances. NRF 320 also maintainsinformation of available NF instances and their supported services.

The PCF 322 may provide policy rules to control plane function(s) toenforce them, and may also support unified policy framework to governnetwork behavior. The PCF 322 may also implement a front end (FE) toaccess subscription information relevant for policy decisions in a UDRof UDM 324.

The UDM 324 may handle subscription-related information to support thenetwork entities' handling of communication sessions, and may storesubscription data of UE 302. The UDM 324 may include two parts, anapplication FE and a User Data Repository (UDR). The UDM may include aUDM FE, which is in charge of processing of credentials, locationmanagement, subscription management and so on. Several different frontends may serve the same user in different transactions. The UDM-FEaccesses subscription information stored in the UDR and performsauthentication credential processing; user identification handling;access authorization; registration/mobility management; and subscriptionmanagement. The UDR may interact with PCF 322. UDM 324 may also supportSMS management, wherein an SMS-FE implements the similar applicationlogic as discussed previously.

The AF 326 may provide application influence on traffic routing, accessto the Network Capability Exposure (NCE), and interact with the policyframework for policy control. The NCE may be a mechanism that allows the5GC and AF 326 to provide information to each other via NEF 316, whichmay be used for edge computing implementations. In such implementations,the network operator and third party services may be hosted close to theUE 302 access point of attachment to achieve an efficient servicedelivery through the reduced end-to-end latency and load on thetransport network. For edge computing implementations, the 5GC mayselect a UPF 304 close to the UE 302 and execute traffic steering fromthe UPF 304 to DN 306 via the N6 interface. This may be based on the UEsubscription data, UE location, and information provided by the AF 326.In this way, the AF 326 may influence UPF (re)selection and trafficrouting. Based on operator deployment, when AF 326 is considered to be atrusted entity, the network operator may permit AF 326 to interactdirectly with relevant NFs.

As discussed previously, the CN 310 may include an SMSF, which may beresponsible for SMS subscription checking and verification, and relayingSM messages to/from the UE 302 to/from other entities, such as anSMS-GMSC/IWMSC/SMS-router. The SMS may also interact with AMF 312 andUDM 324 for notification procedure that the UE 302 is available for SMStransfer (e.g., set a UE not reachable flag, and notifying UDM 324 whenUE 302 is available for SMS).

The system 300 may include the following service-based interfaces: Namf:Service-based interface exhibited by AMF; Nsmf: Service-based interfaceexhibited by SMF; Nnef: Service-based interface exhibited by NEF; Npcf:Service-based interface exhibited by PCF; Nudm: Service-based interfaceexhibited by UDM; Naf: Service-based interface exhibited by AF; Nnrf:Service-based interface exhibited by NRF; and Nausf: Service-basedinterface exhibited by AUSF.

The system 300 may include the following reference points: N1: Referencepoint between the UE and the AMF; N2: Reference point between the (R)ANand the AMF; N3: Reference point between the (R)AN and the UPF; N4:Reference point between the SMF and the UPF; and N6: Reference pointbetween the UPF and a Data Network. There may be many more referencepoints and/or service-based interfaces between the NF services in theNFs, however, these interfaces and reference points have been omittedfor clarity. For example, an NS reference point may be between the PCFand the AF; an N7 reference point may be between the PCF and the SMF; anN11 reference point between the AMF and SMF; etc. In some embodiments,the CN 310 may include an Nx interface, which is an inter-CN interfacebetween the MME (e.g., MME(s) 230) and the AMF 312 in order to enableinterworking between CN 310 and CN 228.

Although not shown by FIG. 3, the system 300 may include multiple RANnodes (such as (R)AN node 308) wherein an Xn interface is definedbetween two or more (R)AN node 308 (e.g., gNBs and the like) thatconnecting to 5GC 410, between a (R)AN node 308 (e.g., gNB) connectingto CN 310 and an eNB (e.g., a macro RAN node 218 of FIG. 2), and/orbetween two eNBs connecting to CN 310.

In some implementations, the Xn interface may include an Xn user plane(Xn-U) interface and an Xn control plane (Xn-C) interface. The Xn-U mayprovide non-guaranteed delivery of user plane PDUs and support/providedata forwarding and flow control functionality. The Xn-C may providemanagement and error handling functionality, functionality to manage theXn-C interface; mobility support for UE 302 in a connected mode (e.g.,CM-CONNECTED) including functionality to manage the UE mobility forconnected mode between one or more (R)AN node 308. The mobility supportmay include context transfer from an old (source) serving (R)AN node 308to new (target) serving (R)AN node 308; and control of user planetunnels between old (source) serving (R)AN node 308 to new (target)serving (R)AN node 308.

A protocol stack of the Xn-U may include a transport network layer builton Internet Protocol (IP) transport layer, and a GTP-U layer on top of aUDP and/or IP layer(s) to carry user plane PDUs. The Xn-C protocol stackmay include an application layer signaling protocol (referred to as XnApplication Protocol (Xn-AP)) and a transport network layer that isbuilt on an SCTP layer. The SCTP layer may be on top of an IP layer. TheSCTP layer provides the guaranteed delivery of application layermessages. In the transport IP layer point-to-point transmission is usedto deliver the signaling PDUs. In other implementations, the Xn-Uprotocol stack and/or the Xn-C protocol stack may be same or similar tothe user plane and/or control plane protocol stack(s) shown anddescribed herein.

FIG. 4 illustrates example components of a device 400 in accordance withsome embodiments. In some embodiments, the device 400 may includeapplication circuitry 402, baseband circuitry 404, Radio Frequency (RF)circuitry (shown as RF circuitry 420), front-end module (FEM) circuitry(shown as FEM circuitry 430), one or more antennas 432, and powermanagement circuitry (PMC) (shown as PMC 434) coupled together at leastas shown. The components of the illustrated device 400 may be includedin a UE or a RAN node. In some embodiments, the device 400 may includefewer elements (e.g., a RAN node may not utilize application circuitry402, and instead include a processor/controller to process IP datareceived from an EPC). In some embodiments, the device 400 may includeadditional elements such as, for example, memory/storage, display,camera, sensor, or input/output (I/O) interface. In other embodiments,the components described below may be included in more than one device(e.g., said circuitries may be separately included in more than onedevice for Cloud-RAN (C-RAN) implementations).

The application circuitry 402 may include one or more applicationprocessors. For example, the application circuitry 402 may includecircuitry such as, but not limited to, one or more single-core ormulti-core processors. The processor(s) may include any combination ofgeneral-purpose processors and dedicated processors (e.g., graphicsprocessors, application processors, etc.). The processors may be coupledwith or may include memory/storage and may be configured to executeinstructions stored in the memory/storage to enable various applicationsor operating systems to run on the device 400. In some embodiments,processors of application circuitry 402 may process IP data packetsreceived from an EPC.

The baseband circuitry 404 may include circuitry such as, but notlimited to, one or more single-core or multi-core processors. Thebaseband circuitry 404 may include one or more baseband processors orcontrol logic to process baseband signals received from a receive signalpath of the RF circuitry 420 and to generate baseband signals for atransmit signal path of the RF circuitry 420. The baseband circuitry 404may interface with the application circuitry 402 for generation andprocessing of the baseband signals and for controlling operations of theRF circuitry 420. For example, in some embodiments, the basebandcircuitry 404 may include a third generation (3G) baseband processor (3Gbaseband processor 406), a fourth generation (4G) baseband processor (4Gbaseband processor 408), a fifth generation (5G) baseband processor (5Gbaseband processor 410), or other baseband processor(s) 412 for otherexisting generations, generations in development or to be developed inthe future (e.g., second generation (2G), sixth generation (6G), etc.).The baseband circuitry 404 (e.g., one or more of baseband processors)may handle various radio control functions that enable communicationwith one or more radio networks via the RF circuitry 420. In otherembodiments, some or all of the functionality of the illustratedbaseband processors may be included in modules stored in the memory 418and executed via a Central Processing Unit (CPU 414). The radio controlfunctions may include, but are not limited to, signalmodulation/demodulation, encoding/decoding, radio frequency shifting,etc. In some embodiments, modulation/demodulation circuitry of thebaseband circuitry 404 may include Fast-Fourier Transform (FFT),precoding, or constellation mapping/demapping functionality. In someembodiments, encoding/decoding circuitry of the baseband circuitry 404may include convolution, tail-biting convolution, turbo, Viterbi, or LowDensity Parity Check (LDPC) encoder/decoder functionality. Embodimentsof modulation/demodulation and encoder/decoder functionality are notlimited to these examples and may include other suitable functionalityin other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may include a digitalsignal processor (DSP), such as one or more audio DSP(s) 416. The one ormore audio DSP(s) 416 may include elements for compression/decompressionand echo cancellation and may include other suitable processing elementsin other embodiments. Components of the baseband circuitry may besuitably combined in a single chip, a single chipset, or disposed on asame circuit board in some embodiments. In some embodiments, some or allof the constituent components of the baseband circuitry 404 and theapplication circuitry 402 may be implemented together such as, forexample, on a system on a chip (SOC).

In some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may provide forcommunication compatible with one or more radio technologies. Forexample, in some embodiments, the baseband circuitry 404 may supportcommunication with an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network(EUTRAN) or other wireless metropolitan area networks (WMAN), a wirelesslocal area network (WLAN), or a wireless personal area network (WPAN).Embodiments in which the baseband circuitry 404 is configured to supportradio communications of more than one wireless protocol may be referredto as multi-mode baseband circuitry.

The RF circuitry 420 may enable communication with wireless networksusing modulated electromagnetic radiation through a non-solid medium. Invarious embodiments, the RF circuitry 420 may include switches, filters,amplifiers, etc. to facilitate the communication with the wirelessnetwork. The RF circuitry 420 may include a receive signal path whichmay include circuitry to down-convert RF signals received from the FEMcircuitry 430 and provide baseband signals to the baseband circuitry404. The RF circuitry 420 may also include a transmit signal path whichmay include circuitry to up-convert baseband signals provided by thebaseband circuitry 404 and provide RF output signals to the FEMcircuitry 430 for transmission.

In some embodiments, the receive signal path of the RF circuitry 420 mayinclude mixer circuitry 422, amplifier circuitry 424 and filtercircuitry 426. In some embodiments, the transmit signal path of the RFcircuitry 420 may include filter circuitry 426 and mixer circuitry 422.The RF circuitry 420 may also include synthesizer circuitry 428 forsynthesizing a frequency for use by the mixer circuitry 422 of thereceive signal path and the transmit signal path. In some embodiments,the mixer circuitry 422 of the receive signal path may be configured todown-convert RF signals received from the FEM circuitry 430 based on thesynthesized frequency provided by synthesizer circuitry 428. Theamplifier circuitry 424 may be configured to amplify the down-convertedsignals and the filter circuitry 426 may be a low-pass filter (LPF) orband-pass filter (BPF) configured to remove unwanted signals from thedown-converted signals to generate output baseband signals. Outputbaseband signals may be provided to the baseband circuitry 404 forfurther processing. In some embodiments, the output baseband signals maybe zero-frequency baseband signals, although this is not a requirement.In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 422 of the receive signal pathmay comprise passive mixers, although the scope of the embodiments isnot limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 422 of the transmit signal pathmay be configured to up-convert input baseband signals based on thesynthesized frequency provided by the synthesizer circuitry 428 togenerate RF output signals for the FEM circuitry 430. The basebandsignals may be provided by the baseband circuitry 404 and may befiltered by the filter circuitry 426.

In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 422 of the receive signal pathand the mixer circuitry 422 of the transmit signal path may include twoor more mixers and may be arranged for quadrature downconversion andupconversion, respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 422of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry 422 of the transmitsignal path may include two or more mixers and may be arranged for imagerejection (e.g., Hartley image rejection). In some embodiments, themixer circuitry 422 of the receive signal path and the mixer circuitry422 may be arranged for direct downconversion and direct upconversion,respectively. In some embodiments, the mixer circuitry 422 of thereceive signal path and the mixer circuitry 422 of the transmit signalpath may be configured for super-heterodyne operation.

In some embodiments, the output baseband signals and the input basebandsignals may be analog baseband signals, although the scope of theembodiments is not limited in this respect. In some alternateembodiments, the output baseband signals and the input baseband signalsmay be digital baseband signals. In these alternate embodiments, the RFcircuitry 420 may include analog-to-digital converter (ADC) anddigital-to-analog converter (DAC) circuitry and the baseband circuitry404 may include a digital baseband interface to communicate with the RFcircuitry 420.

In some dual-mode embodiments, a separate radio IC circuitry may beprovided for processing signals for each spectrum, although the scope ofthe embodiments is not limited in this respect.

In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 428 may be a fractional-Nsynthesizer or a fractional N/N+1 synthesizer, although the scope of theembodiments is not limited in this respect as other types of frequencysynthesizers may be suitable. For example, synthesizer circuitry 428 maybe a delta-sigma synthesizer, a frequency multiplier, or a synthesizercomprising a phase-locked loop with a frequency divider.

The synthesizer circuitry 428 may be configured to synthesize an outputfrequency for use by the mixer circuitry 422 of the RF circuitry 420based on a frequency input and a divider control input. In someembodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 428 may be a fractional N/N+1synthesizer.

In some embodiments, frequency input may be provided by a voltagecontrolled oscillator (VCO), although that is not a requirement. Dividercontrol input may be provided by either the baseband circuitry 404 orthe application circuitry 402 (such as an applications processor)depending on the desired output frequency. In some embodiments, adivider control input (e.g., N) may be determined from a look-up tablebased on a channel indicated by the application circuitry 402.

Synthesizer circuitry 428 of the RF circuitry 420 may include a divider,a delay-locked loop (DLL), a multiplexer and a phase accumulator. Insome embodiments, the divider may be a dual modulus divider (DMD) andthe phase accumulator may be a digital phase accumulator (DPA). In someembodiments, the DMD may be configured to divide the input signal byeither N or N+1 (e.g., based on a carry out) to provide a fractionaldivision ratio. In some example embodiments, the DLL may include a setof cascaded, tunable, delay elements, a phase detector, a charge pumpand a D-type flip-flop. In these embodiments, the delay elements may beconfigured to break a VCO period up into Nd equal packets of phase,where Nd is the number of delay elements in the delay line. In this way,the DLL provides negative feedback to help ensure that the total delaythrough the delay line is one VCO cycle.

In some embodiments, the synthesizer circuitry 428 may be configured togenerate a carrier frequency as the output frequency, while in otherembodiments, the output frequency may be a multiple of the carrierfrequency (e.g., twice the carrier frequency, four times the carrierfrequency) and used in conjunction with quadrature generator and dividercircuitry to generate multiple signals at the carrier frequency withmultiple different phases with respect to each other. In someembodiments, the output frequency may be a LO frequency (fLO). In someembodiments, the RF circuitry 420 may include an IQ/polar converter.

The FEM circuitry 430 may include a receive signal path which mayinclude circuitry configured to operate on RF signals received from oneor more antennas 432, amplify the received signals and provide theamplified versions of the received signals to the RF circuitry 420 forfurther processing. The FEM circuitry 430 may also include a transmitsignal path which may include circuitry configured to amplify signalsfor transmission provided by the RF circuitry 420 for transmission byone or more of the one or more antennas 432. In various embodiments, theamplification through the transmit or receive signal paths may be donesolely in the RF circuitry 420, solely in the FEM circuitry 430, or inboth the RF circuitry 420 and the FEM circuitry 430.

In some embodiments, the FEM circuitry 430 may include a TX/RX switch toswitch between transmit mode and receive mode operation. The FEMcircuitry 430 may include a receive signal path and a transmit signalpath. The receive signal path of the FEM circuitry 430 may include anLNA to amplify received RF signals and provide the amplified received RFsignals as an output (e.g., to the RF circuitry 420). The transmitsignal path of the FEM circuitry 430 may include a power amplifier (PA)to amplify input RF signals (e.g., provided by the RF circuitry 420),and one or more filters to generate RF signals for subsequenttransmission (e.g., by one or more of the one or more antennas 432).

In some embodiments, the PMC 434 may manage power provided to thebaseband circuitry 404. In particular, the PMC 434 may controlpower-source selection, voltage scaling, battery charging, or DC-to-DCconversion. The PMC 434 may often be included when the device 400 iscapable of being powered by a battery, for example, when the device 400is included in a UE. The PMC 434 may increase the power conversionefficiency while providing desirable implementation size and heatdissipation characteristics.

FIG. 4 shows the PMC 434 coupled only with the baseband circuitry 404.However, in other embodiments, the PMC 434 may be additionally oralternatively coupled with, and perform similar power managementoperations for, other components such as, but not limited to, theapplication circuitry 402, the RF circuitry 420, or the FEM circuitry430.

In some embodiments, the PMC 434 may control, or otherwise be part of,various power saving mechanisms of the device 400. For example, if thedevice 400 is in an RRC_Connected state, where it is still connected tothe RAN node as it expects to receive traffic shortly, then it may entera state known as Discontinuous Reception Mode (DRX) after a period ofinactivity. During this state, the device 400 may power down for briefintervals of time and thus save power.

If there is no data traffic activity for an extended period of time,then the device 400 may transition off to an RRC_Idle state, where itdisconnects from the network and does not perform operations such aschannel quality feedback, handover, etc. The device 400 goes into a verylow power state and it performs paging where again it periodically wakesup to listen to the network and then powers down again. The device 400may not receive data in this state, and in order to receive data, ittransitions back to an RRC_Connected state.

An additional power saving mode may allow a device to be unavailable tothe network for periods longer than a paging interval (ranging fromseconds to a few hours). During this time, the device is totallyunreachable to the network and may power down completely. Any data sentduring this time incurs a large delay and it is assumed the delay isacceptable.

Processors of the application circuitry 402 and processors of thebaseband circuitry 404 may be used to execute elements of one or moreinstances of a protocol stack. For example, processors of the basebandcircuitry 404, alone or in combination, may be used to execute Layer 3,Layer 2, or Layer 1 functionality, while processors of the applicationcircuitry 402 may utilize data (e.g., packet data) received from theselayers and further execute Layer 4 functionality (e.g., transmissioncommunication protocol (TCP) and user datagram protocol (UDP) layers).As referred to herein, Layer 3 may comprise a radio resource control(RRC) layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein,Layer 2 may comprise a medium access control (MAC) layer, a radio linkcontrol (RLC) layer, and a packet data convergence protocol (PDCP)layer, described in further detail below. As referred to herein, Layer 1may comprise a physical (PHY) layer of a UE/RAN node, described infurther detail below.

FIG. 5 illustrates example interfaces 500 of baseband circuitry inaccordance with some embodiments. As discussed above, the basebandcircuitry 404 of FIG. 4 may comprise 3G baseband processor 406, 4Gbaseband processor 408, 5G baseband processor 410, other basebandprocessor(s) 412, CPU 414, and a memory 418 utilized by said processors.As illustrated, each of the processors may include a respective memoryinterface 502 to send/receive data to/from the memory 418.

The baseband circuitry 404 may further include one or more interfaces tocommunicatively couple to other circuitries/devices, such as a memoryinterface 504 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from memoryexternal to the baseband circuitry 404), an application circuitryinterface 506 (e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from theapplication circuitry 402 of FIG. 4), an RF circuitry interface 508(e.g., an interface to send/receive data to/from RF circuitry 420 ofFIG. 4), a wireless hardware connectivity interface 510 (e.g., aninterface to send/receive data to/from Near Field Communication (NFC)components, Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi®components, and other communication components), and a power managementinterface 512 (e.g., an interface to send/receive power or controlsignals to/from the PMC 434.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating components 600, according to someexample embodiments, able to read instructions from a machine-readableor computer-readable medium (e.g., a non-transitory machine-readablestorage medium) and perform any one or more of the methodologiesdiscussed herein. Specifically, FIG. 6 shows a diagrammaticrepresentation of hardware resources 602 including one or moreprocessors 612 (or processor cores), one or more memory/storage devices618, and one or more communication resources 620, each of which may becommunicatively coupled via a bus 622. For embodiments where nodevirtualization (e.g., NFV) is utilized, a hypervisor 604 may be executedto provide an execution environment for one or more networkslices/sub-slices to utilize the hardware resources 602.

The processors 612 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a reducedinstruction set computing (RISC) processor, a complex instruction setcomputing (CISC) processor, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digitalsignal processor (DSP) such as a baseband processor, an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), a radio-frequency integrated circuit(RFIC), another processor, or any suitable combination thereof) mayinclude, for example, a processor 614 and a processor 616.

The memory/storage devices 618 may include main memory, disk storage, orany suitable combination thereof. The memory/storage devices 618 mayinclude, but are not limited to any type of volatile or non-volatilememory such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random-accessmemory (SRAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM),electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), Flashmemory, solid-state storage, etc.

The communication resources 620 may include interconnection or networkinterface components or other suitable devices to communicate with oneor more peripheral devices 606 or one or more databases 608 via anetwork 610. For example, the communication resources 620 may includewired communication components (e.g., for coupling via a UniversalSerial Bus (USB)), cellular communication components, NFC components,Bluetooth® components (e.g., Bluetooth® Low Energy), Wi-Fi® components,and other communication components.

Instructions 624 may comprise software, a program, an application, anapplet, an app, or other executable code for causing at least any of theprocessors 612 to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussedherein. The instructions 624 may reside, completely or partially, withinat least one of the processors 612 (e.g., within the processor's cachememory), the memory/storage devices 618, or any suitable combinationthereof. Furthermore, any portion of the instructions 624 may betransferred to the hardware resources 602 from any combination of theperipheral devices 606 or the databases 608. Accordingly, the memory ofthe processors 612, the memory/storage devices 618, the peripheraldevices 606, and the databases 608 are examples of computer-readable andmachine-readable media.

For one or more embodiments, at least one of the components set forth inone or more of the preceding figures may be configured to perform one ormore operations, techniques, processes, and/or methods as set forth inthe example section below. For example, the baseband circuitry asdescribed above in connection with one or more of the preceding figuresmay be configured to operate in accordance with one or more of theexamples set forth below. For another example, circuitry associated witha UE, base station, network element, etc. as described above inconnection with one or more of the preceding figures may be configuredto operate in accordance with one or more of the examples set forthbelow in the example section.

The following examples pertain to further embodiments.

Example 1 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, thecomputer-readable storage medium including instructions that whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to control derivation ofquality of service (QoS) rules in a user equipment (UE) connected to awireless communication system, the instructions to configure theprocessor to: flexibly define a scope of packet header fields over whichthe UE is to perform packet filter derivation; and generate a messagefor the UE, the message comprising a reflective QoS (RQoS) rule scopefield to indicate the scope of the packet header fields over which theUE is to perform the packet filter derivation.

Example 2 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 1, whereinthe instructions further configure the processor to provide the messageto the UE upon a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment ormodification.

Example 3 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 2, whereinthe PDU session is of an internet protocol (IP) type, and wherein theRQoS rule scope field indicates to the UE whether the scope includesboth a source/destination IP address pair and a source/destination portnumber pair, or whether the scope only includes the source/destinationIP address pair.

Example 4 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 2, whereinthe PDU session is of an Ethernet type, and wherein the RQoS rule scopefield indicates to the UE whether the scope includes both asource/destination media access control (MAC) address pair and a tagindicating a membership in a virtual local area network (VLAN) on anEthernet network, or whether the scope only includes thesource/destination MAC address pair.

Example 5 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 4, whereinthe tag comprises an IEEE 802.1Q tag.

Example 6 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 1, whereinthe instructions further configure the processor to process a capabilitymessage from the UE, the capability message indicating that the UEsupports a flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS for a protocol dataunit (PDU) session.

Example 7 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 6, whereinthe instructions further configure the processor to, based at least inpart on the capability message, determine whether to use the flexiblescope of packet filters for RQoS for the PDU session.

Example 8 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 7, whereinupon determining to use the flexible scope of packet filters for RQoSfor the PDU session, the instructions further configure the processorto: adapt the scope for checking uplink (UL) packets from the UE; anddetermine which downlink (DL) packets intended for the UE to mark withan RQoS indicator (RQI).

Example 9 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 8, whereinadapting the scope for checking the UL packets from the UE comprisesverifying that the UL packets from the UE include a QoS flow identifier(QFI) applicable to an RQoS service data flow (SDF) only in a firstsubset of the UL packets that match one or more respective packetfilters.

Example 10 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 9, whereinthe instructions further configure the processor to discard a secondsubset of the UL packets including the QFI that do not match the one ormore respective packet filters.

Example 11 is the computer-readable storage medium of Example 8, whereindetermining which of the DL packets intended for the UE to mark with theRQI comprises: for a first subset of the DL packets of first servicedata flows (SDFs) corresponding to a plurality of packet filters of afull scope each including both a source/destination address pair and asource/destination port number pair, marking one or more of the firstsubset of the DL packets for each different source/destination portnumber pair used during a corresponding communication session; and for asecond subset of the DL packets of second SDFs corresponding to a singlepacket filter of a reduced scope including only the source/destinationaddress pair, marking one or more of the second subset of the DL packetsper source/destination address pair.

Example 12 is a method for a user equipment (UE), the method comprising:generating a capability message for a wireless network, the capabilitymessage indicating that the UE supports a flexible scope of packetfilters for reflective quality of service (RQoS); processing an RQoSrule scope field from the wireless network, the RQoS rule scope fieldindicating a scope of packet header fields over which the UE is toperform packet filter derivation; and deriving uplink (UL) packetfilters based on the scope of the packet header fields.

Example 13 is the method of Example 12, further comprising: processingdownlink (DL) packets from the wireless network, wherein a subset of theDL packets include an RQoS indicator (RQI); and for the DL packets inthe subset of DL packets that include the RQI, generating UL packetsbased on the UL packet filters with headers including a quality ofservice flow identifier (QFI) applicable to an RQoS service data flow(SDF).

Example 14 is the method of Example 12, further comprising including thecapability message in a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishmentrequest message.

Example 15 is the method of Example 12, wherein the RQoS rule scopefield is received during a protocol data unit (PDU) sessionestablishment or modification procedure.

Example 16 is the method of Example 15, wherein the PDU session is of aninternet protocol (IP) type, and wherein the RQoS rule scope fieldindicates to the UE whether the scope includes both a source/destinationIP address pair and a source/destination port number pair, or whetherthe scope only includes the source/destination IP address pair.

Example 17 is the method of Example 15, wherein the PDU session is of anEthernet type, and wherein the RQoS rule scope field indicates to the UEwhether the scope includes both a source/destination media accesscontrol (MAC) address pair and a tag indicating a membership in avirtual local area network (VLAN) on an Ethernet network, or whether thescope only includes the source/destination MAC address pair.

Example 18 is the method of Example 17, wherein the tag comprises anIEEE 802.1Q tag.

Example 19 is an apparatus including a processor and a memory storinginstructions that, when executed by the processor, configure theapparatus to perform the method of any of Examples 12-18.

Example 20 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage mediumincluding instructions that, when processed by a computer, configure thecomputer to perform the method of any of Examples 12-18.

Any of the above described examples may be combined with any otherexample (or combination of examples), unless explicitly statedotherwise. The foregoing description of one or more implementationsprovides illustration and description, but is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the scope of embodiments to the precise formdisclosed. Modifications and variations are possible in light of theabove teachings or may be acquired from practice of various embodiments.

It should be recognized that the systems described herein includedescriptions of specific embodiments. These embodiments can be combinedinto single systems, partially combined into other systems, split intomultiple systems or divided or combined in other ways. In addition, itis contemplated that parameters/attributes/aspects/etc. of oneembodiment can be used in another embodiment. Theparameters/attributes/aspects/etc. are merely described in one or moreembodiments for clarity, and it is recognized that theparameters/attributes/aspects/etc. can be combined with or substitutedfor parameters/attributes/etc. of another embodiment unless specificallydisclaimed herein.

Although the foregoing has been described in some detail for purposes ofclarity, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications maybe made without departing from the principles thereof. It should benoted that there are many alternative ways of implementing both theprocesses and apparatuses described herein. Accordingly, the presentembodiments are to be considered illustrative and not restrictive, andthe description is not to be limited to the details given herein, butmay be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, thecomputer-readable storage medium including instructions that whenexecuted by a processor, cause the processor to control derivation ofquality of service (QoS) rules in a user equipment (UE) connected to awireless communication system, the instructions to configure theprocessor to: flexibly define a scope of packet header fields over whichthe UE is to perform packet filter derivation; and generate a messagefor the UE, the message comprising a reflective QoS (RQoS) rule scopefield to indicate the scope of the packet header fields over which theUE is to perform the packet filter derivation.
 2. The computer-readablestorage medium of claim 1, wherein the instructions further configurethe processor to provide the message to the UE upon a protocol data unit(PDU) session establishment or modification.
 3. The computer-readablestorage medium of claim 2, wherein the PDU session is of an internetprotocol (IP) type, and wherein the RQoS rule scope field indicates tothe UE whether the scope includes both a source/destination IP addresspair and a source/destination port number pair, or whether the scopeonly includes the source/destination IP address pair.
 4. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 2, wherein the PDU session isof an Ethernet type, and wherein the RQoS rule scope field indicates tothe UE whether the scope includes both a source/destination media accesscontrol (MAC) address pair and a tag indicating a membership in avirtual local area network (VLAN) on an Ethernet network, or whether thescope only includes the source/destination MAC address pair.
 5. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 4, wherein the tag comprisesan IEEE 802.1Q tag.
 6. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 1,wherein the instructions further configure the processor to process acapability message from the UE, the capability message indicating thatthe UE supports a flexible scope of packet filters for RQoS for aprotocol data unit (PDU) session.
 7. The computer-readable storagemedium of claim 6, wherein the instructions further configure theprocessor to, based at least in part on the capability message,determine whether to use the flexible scope of packet filters for RQoSfor the PDU session.
 8. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 7,wherein upon determining to use the flexible scope of packet filters forthe RQoS for the PDU session, the instructions further configure theprocessor to: adapt the scope for checking uplink (UL) packets from theUE; and determine which downlink (DL) packets intended for the UE tomark with an RQoS indicator (RQI).
 9. The computer-readable storagemedium of claim 8, wherein adapting the scope for checking the ULpackets from the UE comprises verifying that the UL packets from the UEinclude a QoS flow identifier (QFI) applicable to an RQoS service dataflow (SDF) only in a first subset of the UL packets that match one ormore respective packet filters.
 10. The computer-readable storage mediumof claim 9, wherein the instructions further configure the processor todiscard a second subset of the UL packets including the QFI that do notmatch the one or more respective packet filters.
 11. Thecomputer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein determining whichof the DL packets intended for the UE to mark with the RQI comprises:for a first subset of the DL packets of first service data flows (SDFs)corresponding to a plurality of packet filters of a full scope eachincluding both a source/destination address pair and asource/destination port number pair, marking one or more of the firstsubset of the DL packets for each different source/destination portnumber pair used during a corresponding communication session; and for asecond subset of the DL packets of second SDFs corresponding to a singlepacket filter of a reduced scope including only the source/destinationaddress pair, marking one or more of the second subset of the DL packetsper source/destination address pair.
 12. A method for a user equipment(UE), the method comprising: generating a capability message for awireless network, the capability message indicating that the UE supportsa flexible scope of packet filters for reflective quality of service(RQoS); processing an RQoS rule scope field from the wireless network,the RQoS rule scope field indicating a scope of packet header fieldsover which the UE is to perform packet filter derivation; and derivinguplink (UL) packet filters based on the scope of the packet headerfields.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising: processingdownlink (DL) packets from the wireless network, wherein a subset of theDL packets includes an RQoS indicator (RQI); and for the subset of theDL packets that includes the RQI, generating UL packets based on the ULpacket filters with headers including a quality of service flowidentifier (QFI) applicable to an RQoS service data flow (SDF).
 14. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising including the capability messagein a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment request message. 15.The method of claim 12, wherein the RQoS rule scope field is receivedduring a protocol data unit (PDU) session establishment or modificationprocedure.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the PDU session is of aninternet protocol (IP) type, and wherein the RQoS rule scope fieldindicates to the UE whether the scope includes both a source/destinationIP address pair and a source/destination port number pair, or whetherthe scope only includes the source/destination IP address pair.
 17. Themethod of claim 15, wherein the PDU session is of an Ethernet type, andwherein the RQoS rule scope field indicates to the UE whether the scopeincludes both a source/destination media access control (MAC) addresspair and a tag indicating a membership in a virtual local area network(VLAN) on an Ethernet network, or whether the scope only includes thesource/destination MAC address pair.
 18. The method of claim 17, whereinthe tag comprises an IEEE 802.1Q tag. 19-20. (canceled)